Humidifying device



Dec. 15, 1931. E. A. GRAPP 1,836,239

HUMIDIFYING DEVICE Filed May 14, 1928 2 Sheets -Sheet l gwuento'a Edward A Gra J Q HUMIDIFYING DEVICE Filed May 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

Edward A G/"ap a.

("1cm wag Patented Dec. 15, 1931 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD A. GRAPI, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

nunrnrrrme DEVICE I Appl i cation filed May 14, 1928. Serial No. 277,727,

My invention relates to humidifying de vices and particularly to the type of humidifying device which consists of a case formed with an outlet neck passing through the wall of a building in which thesame is to be installed and having a deflector within said case leading up to said neck and directing the humidified air into said Outlet, and a register adapted to cover the openingthroughsaid looutlet. "l

' An object of the invention resides in providing a structure whereby water accumulating on said deflector neck and register may be drained back into'the case to prevent the .15 flow ofthe same along the wall through which 1 said neck extends and into the building P r; V a 1 Another object of the invention resides in a 1 providing a sealing strip adapted to envelope a portion of said neck and deflector for pre venting the escape of'water therebetween and into the room proper. i v

A still further ob'ect of the invention resides informing said sealing strip with an inwardly projecting lip adapted to intercept water flowing along said deflector.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing said register with upper and lower frame members having converging portions formedalong the facing edges thereof and'bars interposed between and integrally connected to said converging portions.

A still further object of the invention-resides in attaching a rib to the'converging portion of said lower frame member immediately in front of said bars so as to drain the water flowing along said bars back into the case. r

A still further object of the invention re- 49 sides in attaching an inclined drain to said lower frame member beneath said register, said drain being adapted to overlie the lowermost portion of the flange-of said-neck.

A feature of the invention resides in forming said lowermost flangewith an inwardly extending lip disposed beneath the inclined ortion'of said drain.

With the foregoing and other objects in 7 view, which will appear in the followingdescription, the invention resides in the novel combination and'arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawings:

"Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a humidifier showing the application of myinvention thereto.

Fig.2 is'ia vertical sectional view of, the humidifier installed in a building taken substantiallyon line 2-;2 of Fig. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale. V

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of the register proper detached from the humidifier and drawn to a still larger scale and y 7 taken substantially on line 3 of Fig. 2.

The'humidifier proper consists of an elongatedrectangular sheetmetal case A con1- prising side walls 9 and 10, -a front wall 11 and a rear wall 12. The front wall 11 is proyided at its upper end with a register open mg 13 and near itslower end with a second register opening 14. The upper portion of the case is provided with a closure 15 which together with flanges 16 and 17 .form a neck l8 surrounding said opening. opening 14 is surrounded by a similar neck 19 formed with flanges 20, 21 and 22 which may be turned out from the front wall 11 'and the side walls 9 and 10 of thecase or soldered or otherwise secured thereto as de- 30 sired. At the lower end ofthe case is provided a trough-like casting 23 which may be secured thereto in any suitable manner and which forms a suitable bottom for the device. Within the interior of the case is provided a water supply pipe124= connected to a water supply line 25, which pipe terminates in a "downwardly directed spray nozzle 26 situated near the upper endof the case. A suitable cook 27 in the pipe 19 regulates the amount of water delivered to the humidity; ing device, while a drain BO attached-"to the casting 23 serves to conduct away the surplus water from the device.

Within the rectangular portion of the case A is placed a verticallpartition 31 best illustrated in Fig. 2, which extends between the walls 9' and 10 and 'is spaced from the twowalls lland 12. This partition is insertable i through the register opening 14 and is mov- The lower 75 able along two flanges or guides 32 secured to the walls 9 and 10. These guides are turned up at their lower ends to form rests to support the lower edge of the partition 26 which is disposed in spaced relation to the bottom 23 of the device. Adjacent the upper end of the register opening 14 I employ an inclined deflector 33 which extends between the walls 9 and 10 and which is attached to the flange 20 of neck 19. This deflector extends over the upper portion of partition 31 and in conjunction with said partition forms constricted passageways 34 and 35 by means of which the moisture laden air entering the humidifier may be discharged through the register opening 14. In addition to the deflector 33 I employ a deflector 36 which is disposed in spaced relation to the partition 31 and the deflector 33 and which extends in the same direction as said partition and deflector terminating at a point intermediate the two flanges 20 and 22 of the neck 19. This second deflector is preferably attached to wing-like portions 37 formed on the upper part of the partition 31 and is I removed from the device through the reg ister opening 14 with said partition. Openings 38 in this deflector and in the partition 31 permit of attaching a suitable key to the cock 27 in pipe 19 so that the supply of water may be regulated at will. i

' In the installation of the humidifier the case A is preferably installed between the studs of the building with the necks 18 and 19 protruding through the sheathing on the walls which I have indicated at 47 in Fig. 2.

Where plastering is employed the plastering is preferably troweled down to the level of the outer edges of the necks 18 and 19. Both of the register openings 13 and 14 of the case A are closed by means of suitable registers which I have indicated at B and G. Registers B and C are substantially identical in construction excepting that the drain employed with the latter is not essential in the inlet to the humidifier due to the absence of moisture at such locality. Only register C will therefore be described in detail.

The construction of register C is illus trated in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. This register is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is punched or stamped to take the form shown. This register consists of a frame structure 39 comprising an upper frame member 40, a lower frame member 41 and side frame member 42. These frame members are be adjustably positioned relative to the necks 18 and 19 so as to be applicable to walls having sheathing or any desired thickness within certain limits.

For the purpose of preventing leakage of water along the plastering or sheathing 47 I employ the following construct-ion: At the top of the neck 19 I employ a V-shaped sealing strip 48 adapted to envelop the meeting edges of the flange 20 and deflector 33. This sea-ling strip is constructed with an upper member 49 adapted to lie upon the flange 20 and with a lower member 50 adapted to lie along the deflector 33. At the innermost end of the lower member 50 said sealing strip is constructed with an inwardly turned lip 51 best shown in detail in Fig. 2. The sealing strip 48 is securely soldered to the flange 20 so as to prevent the passage of water therebetween. In the operation of the device, any water flowing along the deflector 33 toward the opening 14 is intercepted by the lip 51 and drained back into the neck 19 where the same is caused to flow into the case A in a man ner to be presently described.

The lower flange of the neck 19 is constructed at its outer edge with an upturned lip 52 similar to the lip 51 which is preferably constructed by bending the extreme edge of said flange upwardly. This lip functions in much the same manner as the lip 15 serving to intercept the flow of water along said flange and drain the same back into the case proper. V j In order to prevent the water accumulating on the bars 46 of register 0 from flowing downwardly along the lower frame member 41 and onto the wall 47, I employ a V-shaped rib 53 which is soldered to the converging portion 45 of said frame member 41 immediately in front of the bars 46. This rib may be constructed from sheet metal and bent in the desired form and is soldered to the said portion so as to drain water intercepted thereby back into the case proper. In conjunction with this structure I employ an inclined drain 54 which is soldered to the frame member 41 immediately below the converging portion 45 thereof. This drain is adapted to overlie the flange 22 and lip 52 of neck 19 and extends inwardly beyond the front wall 11 of case A and serves to drain the water disposed thereon through the rib 53 back into the case. This drain also collects the water leaving the lip 51 and drains the same back into the case. At. the sides of the register I employ two members 55 similar to the drain 54 which are soldered to the frame members 42 and which lie flush along the inner walls 9 and 10. of the case and serve to form a relatively tight closure therebetween.

In the use of my invention the air currents leaving the humidifier usually cause certain amounts of water present in the air to be precipitated upon allsurfaces with which they come in contact. Along the outer curved walls the friction of the air is sufficient to cause suflicient water to be carried along in the same direction as the flow of the air which has the eflect of forcing the water precipitated on the deflector 33 to travel in an outward direction. By means'of the lip 51 the water so moved is intercepted and caused to precipitate upon the drain 54 where the same is conducted back into case A. In a similar manner all water collected on the bars 46 flows downwardly along said bars where the rib 53 drains the Water back onto the drain 54: and into the interior of the device proper.

By means of this construction the register C may be readily removed from the device to give access to the interior and may be attached to the wall through the agency of a.

numb-er of screws such'as shown'in Fig. 1 at 56. At the same time a water proof register is provided which prevents the leakage of water along the outlet and upon the wall pap-er or wall decoration.

My invention is highly advantageous in that it provides a simple and eflective device whereby leakage of water along the register of the humidifier is entirely prevented. By means of this construction;disfiguration of the interior decoration upon the wall upon which the device is installed is entirelyprevented so that the humidifier may operate at a maximum capacity and discharge air saturated with water into the room without danger or injury to the room or to its furnishings; My invention can be constructed at an exceedingly nominal cost and will permit of removal of the register or the replacement of the same without affecting the operationof the device.

Changes in the specific form of my inven tion, as herein disclosed, may be made. within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A humidifying device comprisin a case having a wall, an air outlet. formed in said wall, a flange surrounding said outlet,

means for spraying water into the incoming air, a deflector positioned within said case for directing the humidified air into said outlet, said deflector leading up to said flange, and a sealing strip enveloping the edges of said flange and deflector for preventing the escape of moisture therebetween, and a lip formed on said sealing strip and projecting inwardly from said deflector for intercepting the flow of water following said deflector.

2. A humidifying device comprising a lowermost portion thereof adapted to overlie V the edges of said flange and deflector for preventing the escape of moisture therebetween,

the lower edge of said strip being bent outwardly to form a lip for intercepting the flow of water following along said deflector.

4. A humidifying device comprising a case having an air inlet, means for spraying water into the incoming air, an air outlet formed in said case and having a lower flange extending outwardly therefrom, a register,

for covering said air outlet, said re ister having a flange overlying the flange of said case, and separated from the flange of said case at the outer end thereof to provide a space therebetween, and a lip formed on the flange of said case and disposed withinfsaid space. 1

5. A humidifying device comprising a case having an air inlet, means for spraying water into the. incoming air, an air outlet formed in said case and having a lower flange extending outwardly therefrom, the outer edge of said flange being higher than the in- 1 ner edge thereof, and a register for covering said outlet, said register having a flange overlying the flange of said case, the outer edge of said register flange being higher than the inner edge thereof.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

EDWARD A. GRAPP.

' case having an air inlet, means for spraying water into the incoming air, an air outlet formed in said case and surrounded by a flange, a register for covering said air outlet, said register having a flange along the 

